Conscious Choking – Adult, Child, Infant

Mild Airway Block:

• If they can talk or make sounds or can cough loudly –  Stand by and let the person cough.  If you are worried about the person’s breathing, phone 911.

Severe Airway Block:

• If they cannot breathe, talk, or make sounds or has a cough that has no sound or makes the choking sign (holding the neck with one or both hands) – Act quickly.

Abdominal Thrusts (Heimlich Maneuver), Chest Thrusts:

• Gives Thrusts until the object is forced out and the person can breathe, cough, or speak, or until he becomes unresponsive.
• If your victim is pregnant, in a wheelchair, or larger person – Do Chest Thrusts

Conscious Choking

• Ask, “Are you choking?
• If a person is unable to cough, breath or speak, activate EMS
• Adult and Child
  • Stand behind the victim with one foot in-between the victim’s feet and your other foot behind you.
  • Place the flat side of your fist just above the patients belly button. Grab the back of your fist with your other hand.
  • Administer abdominal thrusts, pulling inward and upward, until the object comes out or the patient becomes unconscious.
• Infant
  • Support the infant’s face and place body on your forearm.
  • Keep the infant’s head lower than the feet.
  • Administer 5 back blows between the shoulder blades with the palm of your hand.
  • Support the infant’s head. Turn the baby over onto your other forearm. Give 5 chest thrusts.
  • Continue back blows and chest thrusts until object comes out or infant becomes unconscious.
• Special Circumstances:
  • If the patient is pregnant or too large to reach around, give chest thrusts instead.
  • If you are giving someone abdominal thrusts and the person goes unconscious, lower the patient safely to the ground.
  • Activate EMS, send someone to call 911, and start CPR.